The Busy Life = The Greatest Life!

If you follow DeNada's blog, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, you may have noticed that I sometimes mention other projects that I'm involved in. Today, I want to take the opportunity to explain and give you a better idea of what each project I am working on, and what it means to me. Feel free to check out these other amazing endeavors that I've been hard at work on lately!

1. DC MEETMarket
DC MEETMarket is a project I've been co-managing with my husband, Kelly Towles, for the second year. The mission of the Market is to engage the local DC community by showcasing and supporting local business owners, artists, designers, and musicians. I started DeNada at Eastern Market, and as a small business owner and designer, I felt it was a great opportunity to gain exposure of my company. With the DC MEETMarket, it feels wonderful knowing that I am giving the opportunity to connect with the community as well as support talented artisans and small business owners. The market will start up again on April 5th, and I'm looking forward to seeing all of the familiar faces from last season's markets, as well as some new ones!

2. Ulysses Room
Ulysses Room - also DeNada's showroom - is a multi-purpose studio loft and event space located in the Truxton Circle - Washington, DC. The mission of Ulysses Room is to support emerging artists, visual creatives, and small brands by providing a space to celebrate their work. Ulysses Room hosts events based on this mission and rents the space to people and organizations who are like-minded in promoting the arts through education, inspiration and collaboration.

3. Topaz+Arrow
Topaz+Arrow is a monthly DIY, art, and design workshop, founded by myself and my friend, Morgan Hungerford-West. As a designer and artist, I am naturally a DIY enthusiast. Through communal craft sessions with members of the DC community, Topaz+Arrow strives to showcase the art of DIY and has become a lifestyle resource for the art and design driven community. Crafts learned through our monthly workshops incorporate the art of DIY into a lifestyle from home decor to dinner parties to personal style! Workshops are held at the Ulysses Room, as well as Wild Hand Workspace, a studio in the Brookland neighborhood of DC.

4. DeNada
Last, but not least, my pride and joy! As my first business endeavor, DeNada has become my central focus over the past few years. I started DeNada in 2005 designing and selling handbags and t-shirts. With a passion for knits and fibers, in 2009, I made the decision to focus and specialize in handmade knits for women and men. DeNada was the perfect opportunity to connect my art and design background with the culture I hold close to my heart. My goal with DeNada is to offer stylish, contemporary pieces which incorporate ethnic elements from my Peruvian heritage. DeNada is my vision and passion, and I am so excited to begin preparing the launch of our new collection in a few months!

I absolutely love working on all of these projects. I've lived in DC for over 10 years now, and hope that with all of my projects, I am contributing to the growing creative and small business community in this city. The busy life = the greatest life!